Reports today said Japanese premier Shinzo Abe is considering a snap election as early as next month, as he sees recovering public support with attention focused on tensions over North Korea. <br/><br/>Jiji Press and the Asahi Shimbun reported, citing unnamed government and ruling party sources that Abe floated the idea of holding a vote on October 22 or October 29 in meetings with senior ruling party officials. <br/><br/>Other media reported similar stories but with a wider range of options for the timing of the snap election, including in December. <br/><br/>The reports come as Abe has seen a recovery in public support after the figures plummeted in the past few months over an array of political troubles that Abe strongly denies. <br/><br/>Public support for Abe had fallen to the lowest level of his premiership in July, but since has recovered gradually as Pyongyang raised global tensions with repeated missile and nuclear tests including missile launches over Japan. His popularity is now hovering around 40 percent.